Published: Monday, February 4, 2013 at 10:38 p.m.

Last Modified: Monday, February 4, 2013 at 10:38 p.m.

SARASOTA - A Sarasota developer is moving forward with a plan to build a Walmart Neighborhood Market on church-owned land at one of Sarasota County's busiest intersections.

Jebco Ventures Inc. has submitted a rezoning application with the county to bulldoze the River's Edge Community Church, on the southwest corner of Beneva and Bee Ridge roads, and build a 41,180-square-foot Walmart grocery store in its place.

Jim Bridges, Jebco's president, said the company is in the process of buying the four-acre site from the church.

"I know a good commercial property when I see one, and this is an excellent site for Walmart," said Bridges, whose company locally also developed a Goodwill Industries Manasota at 5100 N. Tamiami Trail and is planning to build residences at 1750 Ringling Blvd.

If it reached fruition, it would become the second Walmart Neighborhood Market in Sarasota.

Unlike traditional Walmart stores or supercenters, its neighborhood market format is smaller and offers food, pharmacy and beauty departments, similar to other supermarket chains such as Publix Super Markets Inc., Winn-Dixie and Sweetbay.

If plans for the Beneva and Bee Ridge store move forward, the new Walmart would compete directly with a recently renovated Publix in the Sarasota Village shopping plaza directly across Beneva.

"Over the years, we have seen the retail grocery landscape change significantly," said Shannon Patten, a Publix spokeswoman. "We believe that competition is healthy — it makes us all step up our game and ultimately the customer wins."

Walmart would also go up against a 24-hour Walgreens Pharmacy, at the northeast corner of the intersection.

A Walmart supercenter operates on Cattlemen Road near Bee Ridge, less than four miles away.

"We can confirm that we are planning to build a Neighborhood Market at this location," said Bill Wertz, a Walmart spokesman. "We have become more flexible in our formats, building both Supercenters and Neighborhood Markets, depending on customer needs."

Church officials confirmed the pending sale to Jebco, but Pastor David McCoy could not be reached to discuss the church's plans. The property has been listed for sale since December 2010, originally for $8.5 million. It was most recently listed at $6.7 million.

In September 2012, Walmart opened a 34,000-square-foot neighborhood market at the site of the former Winn-Dixie supermarket on North Tamiami Trail. Winn-Dixie shuttered in 2010.

Walmart also has proposed building a supercenter at the site of the Ringling Shopping Plaza, where a Publix operated for more than five decades before closing for a new store at 801 S. Tamiami Trail. That plan has met neighborhood opposition, however.

Walmart's entry into the local grocery mix — though its supercenters have carried groceries for several years in Southwest Florida — represents the latest attempt to capture market share through cost savings.

"This is just the way it works. Stores open up adjacent to each other if that's where the people are," Bridges said. "This is an ideal grocery site, and I'm sure Walmart factored in the competition before they decided to get on board."

Winn-Dixie and Sweetbay, in particular, have spent millions of dollars renovating stores and improving product lines in recent years to lure shoppers away from Publix, which dominates local sales.

Winn-Dixie spent $6 million renovating a Fruitville Road store last year as part of a shift by the Jacksonville-based chain to differentiate itself and better compete.

Chains such as Aldi and Sav-A-Lot, meanwhile, have attempted to capture cost-conscious shoppers with low prices. A Save-A-Lot store on North Lime Avenue would compete with the 98,000-square-foot Walmart at the Ringling Shopping Plaza, if that store is built.

It could not be determined when the new Walmart Neighborhood Market would open. A public hearing is scheduled for Feb. 7 as part of the plan to amend zoning to "commercial corridor."

<p><em>SARASOTA</em> - A Sarasota developer is moving forward with a plan to build a Walmart Neighborhood Market on church-owned land at one of Sarasota County's busiest intersections. </p><p>Jebco Ventures Inc. has submitted a rezoning application with the county to bulldoze the River's Edge Community Church, on the southwest corner of Beneva and Bee Ridge roads, and build a 41,180-square-foot Walmart grocery store in its place.</p><p>Jim Bridges, Jebco's president, said the company is in the process of buying the four-acre site from the church.</p><p>"I know a good commercial property when I see one, and this is an excellent site for Walmart," said Bridges, whose company locally also developed a Goodwill Industries Manasota at 5100 N. Tamiami Trail and is planning to build residences at 1750 Ringling Blvd.</p><p>If it reached fruition, it would become the second Walmart Neighborhood Market in Sarasota. </p><p>Unlike traditional Walmart stores or supercenters, its neighborhood market format is smaller and offers food, pharmacy and beauty departments, similar to other supermarket chains such as Publix Super Markets Inc., Winn-Dixie and Sweetbay.</p><p>If plans for the Beneva and Bee Ridge store move forward, the new Walmart would compete directly with a recently renovated Publix in the Sarasota Village shopping plaza directly across Beneva.</p><p>"Over the years, we have seen the retail grocery landscape change significantly," said Shannon Patten, a Publix spokeswoman. "We believe that competition is healthy — it makes us all step up our game and ultimately the customer wins."</p><p>Walmart would also go up against a 24-hour Walgreens Pharmacy, at the northeast corner of the intersection.</p><p>A Walmart supercenter operates on Cattlemen Road near Bee Ridge, less than four miles away. </p><p>"We can confirm that we are planning to build a Neighborhood Market at this location," said Bill Wertz, a Walmart spokesman. "We have become more flexible in our formats, building both Supercenters and Neighborhood Markets, depending on customer needs."</p><p>Church officials confirmed the pending sale to Jebco, but Pastor David McCoy could not be reached to discuss the church's plans. The property has been listed for sale since December 2010, originally for $8.5 million. It was most recently listed at $6.7 million.</p><p>In September 2012, Walmart opened a 34,000-square-foot neighborhood market at the site of the former Winn-Dixie supermarket on North Tamiami Trail. Winn-Dixie shuttered in 2010.</p><p>Walmart also has proposed building a supercenter at the site of the Ringling Shopping Plaza, where a Publix operated for more than five decades before closing for a new store at 801 S. Tamiami Trail. That plan has met neighborhood opposition, however.</p><p>Walmart's entry into the local grocery mix — though its supercenters have carried groceries for several years in Southwest Florida — represents the latest attempt to capture market share through cost savings.</p><p>"This is just the way it works. Stores open up adjacent to each other if that's where the people are," Bridges said. "This is an ideal grocery site, and I'm sure Walmart factored in the competition before they decided to get on board."</p><p>Winn-Dixie and Sweetbay, in particular, have spent millions of dollars renovating stores and improving product lines in recent years to lure shoppers away from Publix, which dominates local sales.</p><p>Winn-Dixie spent $6 million renovating a Fruitville Road store last year as part of a shift by the Jacksonville-based chain to differentiate itself and better compete.</p><p>Chains such as Aldi and Sav-A-Lot, meanwhile, have attempted to capture cost-conscious shoppers with low prices. A Save-A-Lot store on North Lime Avenue would compete with the 98,000-square-foot Walmart at the Ringling Shopping Plaza, if that store is built.</p><p>It could not be determined when the new Walmart Neighborhood Market would open. A public hearing is scheduled for Feb. 7 as part of the plan to amend zoning to "commercial corridor."</p>